Friday, September 25, 2009

How to Get a Home Loan When Your Bankrupt

“If you’re bankrupt now or ever have been, there’s no way you can ever own your own home.” This has long been the belief of the greater public and we have the media, the big lenders and the majority of mortgage brokers to thank for it. With bankruptcy on the rise in Australia, along with bad credit, any wonder there are so many people around, feeling completely helpless when it comes to their home ownership prospects!

The Myths about Bankruptcy and Home Ownership As a bad credit mortgage expert, I know what can and cannot be achieved when it comes to bad credit and home ownership. I am now giving you written permission to ignore all of the following regarding bankruptcy and home ownership, because they are myths:

Bankruptcy and Home Loan Myths

• If you are a discharged bankrupt, home ownership is impossible: This belief that if you are a discharged bankrupt, you cannot get a home loan is baseless. Take one look at the wonderful things bad credit mortgage brokers are achieving and you’ll realise this in an instant. The banks will say no, but bad credit mortgage brokers will say yes – how can we help you?

• If you are still bankrupt, you cannot get a home loan: This is such a widely held belief, however if you enlist an experienced bad credit mortgage specialist, it is possible to secure a home loan even if you haven’t been discharged as a bankrupt. They are tricky to secure, however it is possible. If you aren’t able to secure a loan, even when working with a bad credit mortgage specialist, before you have been discharged, a good expert will help to get your mortgage ready.

Experienced specialists do this all the time, and they can do it for you also!

If you are or have been bankrupt, any loan offered to you will have incredibly high rates of interest: Many people believe that any loans that bankrupts can secure will be impossible to afford due to the high interest rate. This is a myth, however it is true that the interest rate on a home loan for a bankrupt will be higher than the bottom rate. Even so, it is possible to secure a loan that has a reasonable rate that will be affordable. A good team of bad credit mortgage brokers will work with people who are or have been bankrupt, to ensure that each client achieves financial control, so that when they do secure the loan, they can pay it off with ease and be well on their way to a financially secure future.

Bad Credit Mortage Brokers

Even today when bad credit mortgage brokers are achieving so much for their bad credit, bankrupt clients, most people will still stand firm on their beliefs as stated above. Part of this is largely due to the fact that bankruptcy still has a significant stigma attached to it and the myths are literally coming out of the mouths of ‘experts’. People never think to question them, and simply take their word for it.

The Best Way to Secure a Loan if you are Bankrupt First of all, you need to understand that bankruptcy isn’t the end. In my opinion, it is best for bankrupted people to see it as an opportunity to pursue financial control with fervour! The best way to secure a home loan if you are or have been bankrupted is to see an experienced bad credit mortgage broker. They deal with bankrupt clients all the time, and know who to talk to and how to turn the financial lives of clients around for the better. To secure a good home loan that you will be able to afford, forget the banks and the majority of mortgage brokers. They just can’t help you. Specialists can though, so dismiss the negative propaganda our media, big lenders and most mortgage brokers churn out so well! Be the proof that these messages are myths and talk to a bad credit mortgage specialist today!

Adverse Credit Home Loans

Adverse credit home loan restrictions.

Before you run out and get a few adverse credit home loans applications, find out how they are set up, and some of the things you should do before you just go with any company.

You can find all types of home loans on the Internet and more than likely in your hometown. What most people don't realize is that you have to put up collateral for any loan that you get. It doesn't matter what the loan is for.

Companies want property in real estate, and that means your home. You must have built up equity in the house, or not as they say, be upside down in payments. In other words you can't owe more than it's worth to get adverse credit home loans. In this type of loan your home will guarantee to the financial institution that they'll get their money back. If your home is paid off you will get more money with adverse credit loans, but if you own a modular or trailer housing, it's more difficult to get a loan against your house because they depreciate.


Home loan applications with adverse credit.

These types of financial arrangements typically have a few catches to them. This is especially true for adverse credit home loans. Not only will you have to put down a higher down payment on one, some payments go as high as 15% of the homes value.

Also, interest rates on the money you borrow could be as high as 26%, and that's a hefty price to pay. I f you use the Internet to find adverse credit home loans the response will be quick, and another benefit is that there are lower interest rates too. Traditional banks and other types of lending institutions in your local hometown will cost more. Repayment time is shorter too if you're looking for a home loan with adverse credit loans.

You can usually find a great rate if you take the time to do some research by comparing different offers. Read the fine print, and know exactly all of the terms and conditions that are required by each company offering adverse credit home loans. Make sure that a lender that gives you a quote on a particular model has not over priced the house either. If you don't thoroughly check it out, you could get stuck with a very large payment. Under the law they are protected by the warning "the buyer beware". Adverse credit home loans do work, but you've got to work to protect your interests too.

Home loan interest rates | charges and fees on a home loan.

Even a fraction of a percent reduction in interest rates means big savings.

This is slack financial policy - it is easy to make sure you always have the best mortgage or home loans interest rates, and therefore pay the least interest. And believe me, over the years, even a fraction of a percent reduction in interest rates means big savings! You need to get in the habit of noticing current interest rates. This is especially true if you are currently in the market for a new mortgage.

Generally, Mortgage interest rates track the central banking system's 'base interest rate', but there are a LARGE number of deals for new customers, including early year discounts, fixed interest rates, capped rates and so on. If your mortgage company isn't offering you a competitive rate, but other mortgage lenders are, confront them with it! Often they rely on your disinterest to keep overcharing you interest (excuse the pun!). When confronted, they usually crumble and will offer you a better deal rather than lose your custom.


Shows you the true cost of the loan as a yearly rate.

Always use the APR when comparing home loans. The APR (Annual Percentage Rate) allows you to compare the loans offered by different Mortgage and home loan lenders in a like for like manner, and shows you the true cost of the loan as a yearly rate. This stops lenders hiding 'extras' (such as upfront fees) behind a fog of low rate claims, and means you have the true interest rate to play with. generally, most house hunters get an approval in principle from their chosen mortgage company.


If you meet the lender's criteria, try to lock in good interest rates.

This makes you more attractive to sellers because it shows you are serious, and have the financial wherewithall to proceed should you decide to try and buy their house.

It will also give you a firm indication that of what your budget is (although most lenders have slackened their rules in recent years, they still apply SOME rules!). This pre-qualification will keep you in the right price bracket too, and stop you wasting time on properties beyond your reach. If you meet the lender's criteria, try to lock in good interest rates. This means the lender promises to hold their offer for you at a certain interest rate for a certain time while you proceed with the purpose. Variable rate mortgages, more popular in Europe, can be crippling if interest rates rise from the historically low rates prevalent at time of writing.

Wizard home loan | mortgage considerations.

Wizard offes competitive home loans, just like all the other major Australian banks and mortgage lending companies. And just like the other lending institiutions, buyers have to be aware of all the costs and pitfalls involved in securing a home loan from Wizard Home Loans.


What to consider when securing an Wizard home loan.

Here are some useful tips on what to consider before applying for an Wizard home loan. If you need money to pay bills or make home improvements, and think the answer is in refinancing, a second mortgage, or a home equity loan, consider your options carefully. If you can't make the required payments, you could lose your home as well as the equity you've built up. That's why it's important not to let anyone talk you into using your home to borrow money you may not be able to afford to pay back.


The term of an Wizard home loan:

How many years will you make payments on the loan? If you're getting a home equity loan that consolidates credit card debt and other shorter-term loans, remember that the new loan may require you to make payments for a longer time.

The monthly payment:

What's the amount? Will it stay the same or change?

Wizard prepayment penalties:

Prepayment penalties are extra fees that may be due if you pay off the loan early by refinancing or selling your home.

Whether the interest rate for an Wizard home loan will increase if you default.

An increased interest rate provision says that if you miss a payment or pay late, you may have to pay a higher interest rate for the rest of the loan term.

The best piece of advice would be to ensure that you can afford the loan. Figure out whether your monthly income is enough to cover each monthly payment, in addition to your other monthly bills and expenses. If it isn't, do not take out a loan.

No deposit home loans.

Ideally, the individuals set to gain from this product have high incomes in industries with high job security. With this loan you are presuming that the benefits of immediate ownership and debt outweigh the costs of renting. This may not always be the case however. The risk to the lender is greater and so you will pay a premium interest rate for the privilege, usually about 2% higher than the current market rate.

With this is mind, it may be time to clean the dust of the old mortgage calculator and assess the long term financial gain or speak to a financial consultant to establish whether this is a sound option for you, and for many people it can be.

Of course, there is no such thing as a free lunch and strictly speaking, no deposit means "with enough money to cover initial expenses" such as stamp duty, loan fees and mortgage insurance. If you are lucky enough to be eligible for a government first home buyers' grant, you may have most of these expenses paid for you.


The main point with this type of loan is that to really win you are betting that your salary will be increasing steadily over the term of the loan. This income will then be able to be ploughed back into the loan to build some equity.

In many countries, such as Australia, no deposit home loans are becoming less attractive due to the state of the market. Lenders are becoming more stringent with their loan acceptance policies, indicating a potential interest rate rise and thus much greater risk to those with no deposit home loans. The lender may also have harsh exit fees, running into thousands of dollars so read carefully before you sign on the dotted line.

Many lenders also will only lend for specific types of property, leaving well alone riskier properties in regional areas and places with no established resale value.

Here are a few tips to help you manage your financial position.

- Allow for higher interest rates when budgeting for repayments over the next 2-3 years,

- Ensure personal debts like credit cards and car loans are under control before committing to a property loan, and

- Make extra repayments where possible to reduce your exposure to higher rates and falling prices.

Home loans | things to consider before applying.

Home loan down-payment.

As a general rule of thumb, lenders will be seeking contribution from you of around 3% to 6% of the total loan value. This can be negotiable, and there are many loan packages available.

Fixed interest rates versus adjustable rates.

The two most common loan products available for home mortgages are fixed rate versus adjustable rate. Fixed rate means that you agree on an APR (annual percentage rate) that does not change through the life of the loan, whereas, an Adjustable Rate Mortgage, better known as an ARM, means that rates and monthly payments can change, often tied to the U.S. Government Treasury Bills or some other form of index, with the frequency of change dependent upon the terms of the loan. Deciding on which way to go involves many variables. We suggest that you start by examining the fixed rate products available on the market. They are by far the most popular, and arguably with the least amount of risk.

After evaluating several preliminary loan offers (quotes) for fixed rate mortgages, you can then venture into the world of ARMs to see if one of these products may be right for you. But, proceed with caution, and understand all the risks, alongside any potential benefits.

APR

APR, better known as the annual percentage rate, aka: “rate, is arguably the most important consideration you must examine when looking for a loan. The APR includes principle, interest, points, fees, PMI (Mortgage insurance), and other costs associated with the loan. While all costs and terms are significant and affect the bottom line, we suggest that shopping rate is a very good starting point.

Loan Types

There are several standard loan products to look for, including 30 year fixed, 15 year fixed, bi-weekly mortgages, 1 month ARM’s, 5 year fixed ARM’s, 2nd Fixed, ARM’s with a provision to convert after 5 years, lender buydowns, and discounted mortgages.

We think the best place to start, is to obtain quotes for a 30 year fixed rate loan, and then go from there. 30 year fixed rate loans generally produce the lowest monthly payments for fixed rate products, and they are relatively safe. Once you know where you stand with a 30 year fixed, after obtaining quotes from several lending institutions, then you can consider the possibility of exploring more exotic loan products. At this juncture, you will want to consult with those you trust, for good, solid advice and feedback on risk versus reward.

Reduce Your Mortgage to 10 Years or Less

So a little background on the principal of each program needs to be told. Bi-weekly mortgages became popular a few years back when interest rates were extremely high and it made a lot of sense to pay as much on the principal of your mortgage as you can in a systematic way.

The way it works is that your mortgage payments are split in two every month so you end up paying (26) 1/2 payments instead of 12 whole payments which in effect ends up paying one additional month towards your principal.

Doing this ends up saving the average homeowner thousands of dollars on the interest payments over 30 years and shaves off around 7 years of payments. Not bad for back then. But as interest rates started to drop the net effect of savings are not as great now as they were when rates were higher.

But with the discovery of a recent mortgage loophole by Craig Romero, a senior mortgage analyst, Mortgage Cycling was born. Mortgage cycling allows a homeowner to build up 10 times faster then biweekly mortgages and allows you to pay of your 30 year mortgage in 10 years or less.


Mortgage cycling allows a homeowner to build up equity in their home fast using a patent pending technique. So fast that it ends up paying off a traditional 30 year mortgage in just about 10 years.

At first I was skeptical on how powerful mortgage cycling is until I compared using a typical $150,000 loan for thirty years at 7% interest. After running the figures though the difference between a bi-weekly mortgage versus mortgage cycling is dramatic.

Bi-weekly Mortgage Cycling

Equity 1 year $1,520 $14,061

Equity 3 years $4,900 $44,972

Equity 5 years $8,787 $74,179

Equity 9 years $18,397 $136,429

Thursday, September 24, 2009

Home Loans after Bankruptcy

Attaining homeownership is a great goal. If you have a good credit rating, reaching this goal is easy. On the other hand, if you have a few credit blemishes or filed a recent bankruptcy, you may have to delay homeownership until your credit situation improves. Several lenders specialize in bad credit mortgages, and offer loans to people after bankruptcy. However, before accepting an offer, consider the following points.

When was the Bankruptcy Discharged?

There is no mandatory waiting period for obtaining a mortgage after bankruptcy. Those who are eager to purchase a home may get a loan immediately following their discharge. Unfortunately, this may not be the best plan. Mortgage interest rates following a bankruptcy are outrageously high, which may greatly increase your mortgage payment. In fact, mortgage and credit experts may encourage you to wait at least 24 month before applying for a home loan. By doing so, you have the opportunity to receive a comparable low interest rate on your home loan.

Have You Established New Credit Accounts?

To rebuild your credit, it is important to open new credit accounts and re-establish credit. Because of a low credit score following a bankruptcy, some lenders, or credit card companies will be hesitant to approve your loan request. Thus, a secured credit card may be your best option. If applying for a secured card, you are required to provide a down payment. For example, if you offer a $500 down payment, then your credit limit will be $500.


After acquiring a credit card, maintain current payments. Keep balances low, and try to payoff the balance each month.

A good payment history will increase your credit score. Soon, you will qualify for unsecured credit cards. Try and get approved for three new credit accounts. As your credit improves, so do your chances for getting a low rate mortgage.

Choosing a Good Mortgage Lender

Depending on your credit rating, you may get approved for either a prime or sub prime loan. Prime mortgage loans are offered to individuals with excellent credit. On the contrary, sub prime loans are intended for those with lower credit scores. Prior to applying for a loan, request an online quote from a mortgage broker. Based on your credit information, a broker will provide multiple quotes from sub prime or prime lenders.

Home loan interest rates | charges and fees on a home loan

Most people tend to take out a Mortgage or home loan, then forget about it. The monthly payments go out from their accounts every month, but they probably couldn't tell you what the interest rate was if you asked.


Even a fraction of a percent reduction in interest rates means big savings.

This is slack financial policy - it is easy to make sure you always have the best mortgage or home loans interest rates, and therefore pay the least interest. And believe me, over the years, even a fraction of a percent reduction in interest rates means big savings! You need to get in the habit of noticing current interest rates. This is especially true if you are currently in the market for a new mortgage.

Generally, Mortgage interest rates track the central banking system's 'base interest rate', but there are a LARGE number of deals for new customers, including early year discounts, fixed interest rates, capped rates and so on. If your mortgage company isn't offering you a competitive rate, but other mortgage lenders are, confront them with it! Often they rely on your disinterest to keep overcharing you interest (excuse the pun!). When confronted, they usually crumble and will offer you a better deal rather than lose your custom.


Shows you the true cost of the loan as a yearly rate.

Always use the APR when comparing home loans. The APR (Annual Percentage Rate) allows you to compare the loans offered by different Mortgage and home loan lenders in a like for like manner, and shows you the true cost of the loan as a yearly rate. This stops lenders hiding 'extras' (such as upfront fees) behind a fog of low rate claims, and means you have the true interest rate to play with. generally, most house hunters get an approval in principle from their chosen mortgage company.

Home loans things to consider before applying

Home loan down-payment.

As a general rule of thumb, lenders will be seeking contribution from you of around 3% to 6% of the total loan value. This can be negotiable, and there are many loan packages available.

Fixed interest rates versus adjustable rates.

The two most common loan products available for home mortgages are fixed rate versus adjustable rate. Fixed rate means that you agree on an APR (annual percentage rate) that does not change through the life of the loan, whereas, an Adjustable Rate Mortgage, better known as an ARM, means that rates and monthly payments can change, often tied to the U.S. Government Treasury Bills or some other form of index, with the frequency of change dependent upon the terms of the loan. Deciding on which way to go involves many variables. We suggest that you start by examining the fixed rate products available on the market. They are by far the most popular, and arguably with the least amount of risk.


After evaluating several preliminary loan offers (quotes) for fixed rate mortgages, you can then venture into the world of ARMs to see if one of these products may be right for you. But, proceed with caution, and understand all the risks, alongside any potential benefits.

APR

APR, better known as the annual percentage rate, aka: “rate, is arguably the most important consideration you must examine when looking for a loan. The APR includes principle, interest, points, fees, PMI (Mortgage insurance), and other costs associated with the loan. While all costs and terms are significant and affect the bottom line, we suggest that shopping rate is a very good starting point.

Loan Types

There are several standard loan products to look for, including 30 year fixed, 15 year fixed, bi-weekly mortgages, 1 month ARM’s, 5 year fixed ARM’s, 2nd Fixed, ARM’s with a provision to convert after 5 years, lender buydowns, and discounted mortgages.

We think the best place to start, is to obtain quotes for a 30 year fixed rate loan, and then go from there. 30 year fixed rate loans generally produce the lowest monthly payments for fixed rate products, and they are relatively safe. Once you know where you stand with a 30 year fixed, after obtaining quotes from several lending institutions, then you can consider the possibility of exploring more exotic loan products. At this juncture, you will want to consult with those you trust, for good, solid advice and feedback on risk versus reward

Top 10 Ways to Avoid Loan Fraud

1. Take your time and shop around. You should be able to compare prices and houses. If a lender or broker tells you they are your only chance to get a loan or owning a home, don't do business with them.

2. Do not sign a sales contract or loan documents that are blank or that contain information which is not true.

3. Be certain that the costs and loan terms at closing are what you originally agreed to.

4. Do not be talked into lying about (or choose to lie) about your income, expenses, or cash available for downpayments in order to get a loan.

5. Watch out for higher-risk loans such as balloon loans, interest only payments, and steep pre-payment penalties.

6. Be careful about disclosing things like your need of cash due to medical, unemployment or debt problems. You are very vulnerable in these cases.

7. Don't strip your home's equity by refinancing again and again when there is no benefit to you.

8. Beware of false appraisals.

9. Do not let anyone convince you to borrow more money than you know you can afford to repay. If you get behind on your payments, you risk losing your house and all of the money you put into your property.

10. Get several quotes from multiple brokers or lenders so you know you're being charged a fair interest rate based on your credit history, not your race or national origin.